Dedh Ishqiya may not have done well at the box office but Huma's performance in the film has earned her a role opposite John Abraham. Impressed with her performance, filmmaker Sanjay Gupta has finalised the actor for his next movie.

A film that doesn’t make money is never good news for its actors. But Huma Qureshi’s last film, Dedh Ishqiya, which failed to set cash registers ringing (as per trade reports and experts), seems to have earned her a lead role in an upcoming movie.

Impressed with her performance in director Abhishek Chaubey’s venture, film-maker Sanjay Gupta has now officially cast her opposite John Abraham in his next movie.

"I was simply blown away by Huma’s powerful performance in each and every frame. After that, I had no doubts in my mind [about casting her]. She plays a very strong role in my film too," says Sanjay, confirming the news.

Huma will be seen playing John’s girlfriend, who eventually becomes his wife. Over the course of the film, her character will age from being a 21-year-old to a 40-year-old. "Huma’s role is central to the story. Sanjay has been waiting to find the right person to cast for this role for a while," says an insider.

The first of a trilogy, this film is set in the ’80s and ’90s and will reportedly revolve around the nexus between the police, underworld, politicians and mill owners. Besides John and Huma, other actors like Anil Kapoor and Manoj Bajpayee have also been confirmed for the film.